


the last night

by SEMellark



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, beware of the adorable sleepy orca, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-04-06 14:08:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4224657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SEMellark/pseuds/SEMellark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruka doesn’t like disturbance. He enjoys peace and quiet and room to think, is used to it after a childhood spent up on that hill in Iwatobi, but he is definitely all for Makoto’s insistent presence in his already small space.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the last night

**Author's Note:**

> This is rather pointless. I seriously wrote this just to make myself feel better after all the "dude"s and "man"s I've been hearing lately. 
> 
> Never thought I'd ever have to see the day that Makoto called Haru dude...

Makoto has his own key to get into Haruka’s apartment, so sometimes Haruka comes home from practice to find dinner already set out for him. It’s usually something reheated, something Haruka himself made the day before.

It makes sense, because Makoto is completely useless at making anything aside from simple breakfast foods, and Haruka would rather not return home to find his kitchen going up in flames.

Not that he would really care about a ruined cooking space. He just doesn’t want to see that kicked puppy look he _knows_ would be on Makoto’s face. That was a sight Haruka was content to see only once.

After a few months of studying, rigorous practices, and adjusting to university life, Haruka has established some semblance of a routine, and he’s only slightly concerned that three-fourths of said routine involve his best friend in some way.

It’s not really a problem. In fact, it’s the exact _opposite_ of a problem, though sometimes Haruka still thinks back to that night at the beach, when Makoto announced his future plans and something in Haruka burst along with the fireworks.

Haruka can’t place a name to that feeling, doesn’t really want to, and he’d promised himself after returning from Australia that he would attempt to establish some kind of distance between himself and his best friend, nothing that would alter the dynamic they had, but just enough so that Haruka felt he could function normally if Makoto weren’t always around.

Some good that did. If anything, the physical distance Haruka tried to maintain only strengthened whatever it was they did share, and he gave up almost two weeks into the school year. It was pointless. Makoto was Makoto. With Ren and Ran miles away, Haruka was really the only optimal person within mothering distance. He hadn’t stood a semblance of a chance.

But again, Haruka is in _no way_ complaining. It’s… nice to come home to his tiny apartment and hear the low murmuring of the TV, water running, a fire alarm going off although that was just the once, anything really, so long as Makoto is the one causing the noise. Because Tokyo is a strange place, and Haruka feels better about it when Makoto is around.

So, it’s safe to say that things between them are good. _Better_ than good. And it’s a huge relief to Haruka, who once spent an entire night under the impression that he’d royally screwed up and was going to lose Makoto. He still has nightmares about that, but Rei is the only one who knows, as he’s the most likely person to answer his phone at god-awful hours of the night, and Haruka plans to keep it that way.

Maybe if he talked to Makoto, he’d stop reliving that night. Maybe the dreams would stop, and Haruka wouldn’t have to listen to Makoto yell at him, wouldn’t have to listen to himself shout back. Maybe he would actually get a full night’s sleep for the first time since it all happened.

But Makoto would worry, and Haruka doesn’t want that. He can handle the dreams, the lingering sense of guilt. It’s the least he can do to atone for the awful things he said to Makoto when his friend had done nothing to deserve it.

That being said, Haruka’s nights are unnecessarily long, managed only by impromptu, late-night baths and long talks with Rei. Haruka can prolong the night so long as Makoto is at his apartment, so it’s something he really does look forward to, eating leftovers Makoto prepared, listening to the other man talk about his day.

Haruka doesn’t like disturbance. He enjoys peace and quiet and room to think, is used to it after a childhood spent up on that hill in Iwatobi, but he is definitely all for Makoto’s insistent presence in his already small space. What with all the changes in his life, it’s a necessity Haruka probably couldn’t function without.

But one night after practice, Haruka trudges up to his apartment and lets himself in only to be met with silence. The lights in the kitchen and sitting room are on, but Haruka’s fairly certain that he forgot to turn them off when he left that morning. He can already imagine the stern lecture about responsibility from his parents when they see the electricity bill… and from Makoto as well, when he finds out, because he somehow always does.

Haruka goes about his routine normally, leaving his shoes at the door and throwing his duffel into the hall closet, but Makoto’s lack of presence remains a nagging thought at the back of his head.

He could’ve sworn Makoto said something about coming over once his meeting with his study group ended, but it could’ve just been Haruka’s lack of sleep making him imagine things. It wouldn’t be the first time.  

Haruka checks his cell phone just to make sure, but there’s nothing new from Makoto since the afternoon when he sent some picture of a kitten in a coffee mug he found on the Internet. Haruka hadn't responded, but his silence was probably more telling than any slightly judgmental emoticon he could’ve sent.

Resigned to an evening alone, Haruka retreats to his bedroom, but he’s barely slid the door open before he spots a lump laying atop his covers in the dark. A bit of tension leaves Haruka’s body as he opens the door fully, light pouring into the room although it does nothing to disturb Makoto.

He must’ve been exhausted, Haruka muses as he shuffles into the room, dark blue eyes never leaving his friend’s sleeping form for a moment. Makoto is on his stomach, arms pushed up underneath one of Haruka’s fluffier pillows and shirt riding up at the small of his back. Haruka eyes the slight patch of visible skin for a long moment. It’s nothing he hasn’t seen before – he’s seen more, even, a _lot_ more – but he still has to resist the urge to snap a quick picture on his phone.

It seems like Haruka isn’t the only one who hasn't been getting enough sleep lately. Makoto sleeps like the dead when he’s overworked and stressed, and while that happened a lot during their final year in high school, this is the first time since they moved that Haruka has seen Makoto like this.

It’s almost reassuring, in a way, to know that he isn’t alone in his struggle to adjust.

He sits down on the edge of his bed as slowly as he can manage, mostly facing Makoto, and from the way the larger man stirs almost immediately, he probably wasn’t as far under as Haruka had assumed.

“It’s just me.” Haruka finds himself saying, even though it isn’t really necessary. Makoto’s eyes are half-lidded and fuzzy, but they seem calm as they peer up at Haruka. “You fell asleep.”

Makoto’s broad shoulders rise and fall in a slow, lingering sigh. Haruka watches, transfixed and a million other things, wants to reach out and brush the hair out of Makoto’s eyes, so he does and gets a lazy smile in response.

“Sorry.” Makoto murmurs, low and raspy, not the slightest bit apologetic. Maybe he would be if he were more awake, but at this point, everything is probably perfect in Makoto’s world. Whatever he worries about during the day can’t reach him here. “Did you eat dinner? I forgot.”

“Yes.” Haruka replies, knowing full well that Makoto wouldn’t consider the energy bar he had after practice dinner, but he’ll omit the truth to preserve Makoto’s calm. “I went out with the team.”

Makoto’s eyes are already closing again, head sinking further into the pillow as he starts to nod off yet again. “That’s nice, Haru.”

Haruka shakes his head, a fond smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he stands up. He makes sure to turn off all the lights in the apartment – better to be safe than sorry – before returning to his room and changing out of his team uniform and slightly damp swimsuit.

Only then does he climb into bed next to Makoto, who wakes again for an achingly brief moment to wrap a sleep-heavy arm around Haruka’s shoulders and whisper a, “Welcome home, Haru-chan,” before promptly passing out again.

For the first time in a long while, Haruka sleeps through the night, and when he wakes up before his alarm the next morning, it’s to Makoto’s moist breath on his collarbone and a text from Rei that reads, _‘Sleep okay?’_

Rei usually types in complete sentences, so Haruka assumes that Nagisa had been around to distract him whenever he sent the message. Still, the concern is translated well enough, and Haruka takes the time to reply, whereas he usually wouldn’t, before turning around in the curve of Makoto’s arms and falling back asleep.

_‘Like a baby. Really glad Makoto doesn’t snore.’_

**Author's Note:**

> I maintain my belief that these two dorks don't need to talk about what they are to each other. They know.


End file.
